Hydrogen embrittlement refers to a process that causes a metal or metal alloy, such as steel, to become brittle and susceptible to fracture when exposed to a quantity of hydrogen and subjected to a load. Hydrogen embrittlement generally occurs when hydrogen atoms diffuse through the crystalline structure (i.e., matrix) of a metal resulting in an increased pressure within the metal matrix. The increased pressure can adversely affect characteristics of metal, such as ductility and tensile strength. At least some known sources of hydrogen atoms are electroplating solutions, pickling solutions, phosphating solutions, paint-stripping solutions, cleaning solutions, and the like.
In at least some known electroplating processes, a metal substrate cathode and a plating material anode are submerged in a plating bath containing plating solution. Electric current is applied to the anode and cathode to deposit a layer of plating material on the surface of the metal substrate via the plating solution. After a desired amount of plating material has been deposited on the metal substrate, the substrate may then be heated to facilitate removing hydrogen trapped in the steel substrate beneath the plating material. Metal substrates also generally have organic surface contaminants, which if not properly cleaned prior to plating, may contaminate the plating solution. As such, prolonged use of the plating solution may affect the quality of the plated sample due to the contaminants. For example, an increased contaminant concentration in the plating solution may decrease the porosity of the plating layer, thereby limiting the amount of hydrogen removed from plated metals during the post-deposition heating process.
One known method of determining the porosity level of a plating solution involves periodically performing sustained load testing on select samples plated in different batches of the plating solution. Performance of sustained load testing requires the use of specialized test frames that are limited in number worldwide such that samples are typically plated and then shipped to a testing facility remote from the plating site. Sustained load testing also takes several days to complete. As such, there is significant delay between completion of a plating process and completion of a load test for a particular sample. The delay makes it difficult to detect contamination of the plating solution in a timely manner.
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.